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Harry Bright
Harry Bright is an English banker that, as of the first film, resides in Bloomsbury, UK. Harry is one of Sophie Sheridan's possible fathers along with Sam Carmichael and Bill Anderson, and is the ex-lover of Donna Sheridan-Carmichael. It is written in Donna's diary on August 11 that Harry "turned up out of the blue." His sweet and understanding nature results in Donna showing him the island and possibly the conception of Sophie Sheridan. Mamma Mia! (2008) In "Honey, Honey," Donna's diary reveals that Harry is one of Sophie's three possible fathers. In an effort to discover her true father, Sophie sends Harry an invitation to her wedding. Harry chooses to attend, but arrives too late to catch the last ferry to the island. On the boat, Harry expresses his admiration for Bill and his adventure novels, revealing that he feels he will never be the spontaneous adventurer. After arriving on the island, the three fathers are taken by Sophie to the goat house. Harry, a well-dressed, stuffy banker, is displeased with the arrangement, and asks where he might find a trouser press. Donna discovers Harry and the other fathers in the goat house, and demands to know why they are there. Harry says he's on a "spontaneous holiday," keeping a promise to Sophie that he would not reveal his invitation to the wedding. After Donna evicts them from the island, Harry joins Sam and Bill on Bill's boat. Sophie follows them, and the group sails around the island. Harry details how he met Donna in "Our Last Summer" as a student in Paris. He bought her a guitar for "ten quid and his Johnny Rotten tee-shirt," signing it "DS" for Donna Sheridan and "HB" for "Headbanger," an abbreviation of his youthful nickname, "Harry Headbanger." Reminiscing about his close friendship with Donna, Harry explains that he "jumped on a train and followed her to Greece, quite spontaneously." Harry's focus on his spontaneity suggests that when he accepted "Donna's" invitation to Sophie's wedding, he still felt a bond to Donna and desired to be as spontaneous as he was in his youth. Later that night, Harry, Sam, and Bill crash Sophie's hen party during the performance of "Super Trouper" by Donna and the Dynamos. In "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme," Harry is tied up by several of the women at the party, but is pulled away by Sophie. When questioned about his personal life, Harry tells Sophie that he has two dogs, Lucy and Kipper, and that's the extent of his relationships. However, he adds that he would have loved a daughter, stating that he would have "spoiled her rotten." He asks Sophie if her father is present for the wedding, and Sophie truthfully responds that she doesn't know, as she is unsure who her father is. Before Harry can continue the conversation, Sophie is pulled away by her bridesmaids to return to the party. In "Voulez-Vous," a now-intoxicated Harry sees Sophie on the dance floor and realizes that he is potentially Sophie's father. He joyfully exclaims that he now understands why he was sent the invitation- because Sophie wanted her own father to walk her down the aisle. Promising he won't let her down, Harry shouts that he'll be there before returning to dancing with Petros. When Sophie faints, Harry rushes to her side. The next morning, Harry and Bill are discussing the previous night under the assumption that each of them is the father. However, Bill assumes that Harry's sudden realization is his homosexuality (given his dancing with Petros, a local Greek man), and Harry assumes that Bill's discovery is his interest in Rosie. This miscommunication prevents either man from finding out that he is only a potential father to Sophie. Harry joins Tanya in a peddle boat around the island, where he discusses what the father's role at a wedding would be. After Tanya says the father's responsibility would be to pay for the wedding, Harry jumps off the boat, swimming back to the island. He delivers a large check to Donna as a "small contribution," feeling guilty that she has had to support Sophie alone over the years. Harry refuses to take the check back, running away when Donna attempts to return it. After Sophie chooses to have Donna walk her down the aisle, Harry attends the wedding as a guest, seated near the back of the church. Donna interrupts the ceremony to announce the presence of Sophie's father and Harry stands up, only to see Sam and Bill doing the same. He immediately sits back down as Donna explains to Sophie that she is unsure who her true father is. While Sam confronts Donna for not telling him about Sophie, it is revealed that he returned to the island looking for her only to find out she was off with another guy. Bill and Harry both look away, knowing this is possibly referring to them. Harry interrupts the conversation to say that it is great to have "even a third" of Sophie, never having believed he would have that much of a child. He tells Donna that she was the first girl he ever loved, but also the last. Looking at Petros lovingly, Harry suggests that he is a gay man, although some fans contend that Harry is bisexual. Sam and Bill agree with Harry to be one-third of Sophie's father, and stand behind her as the ceremony continues. However, Sophie decides not to get married yet, and tells Sky that she would rather travel the world with him instead. Instead, Sam proposes to Donna and the two marry. Afterwards, Harry and Donna embrace, suggesting they have renewed their friendship. During the wedding reception, Harry performs in "Take a Chance on Me," declaring his love for Petros and embracing him. Dancing in the fountain with the rest of the cast, a shirtless Harry celebrates the events of the film. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) The second film, which features two timelines- one set five years after the events of the first film and the other set twenty years before- has Colin Firth reprising his role as present-day Harry and introduces Hugh Skinner as Young Harry. Flashbacks In a Paris hotel in 1979, Young Donna is standing behind the desk, waiting for help when Young Harry walks down the stairs in a bathrobe. In butchered French, he tries to explain that he is locked out of his bedroom. Young Donna explains that she doesn't work there but presumably helps Young Harry get into his room. The pair go walking through the city, where Young Harry awkwardly tries to express his romantic interest in her, first trying to hold hands and then asking her on a date to a Napoleon-themed cafe. In the cafe, Young Harry reveals to Young Donna that he is a virgin and attempts to convince her that they should spend the night together. He expresses his love, but Young Donna remains unconvinced, given that they have only known each other for a few hours. In response, Young Harry serenades Young Donna with "Waterloo," insisting that he has fallen in love. The couple spends the night together, possibly conceiving Sophie, with Young Harry continuing to express his appreciation and affection for Young Donna. The next morning, Young Donna leaves a note for him, and continues on her trip to Greece. Young Harry follows her to Greece, bringing his guitar, flirting briefly with the guard checking his passport before the ferry. He laments that he is still in love with Donna in "Why Did It Have to Be Me," and insists that he has no choice but to follow who he believes is the "one." While not shown in theaters, fans believe that a cut scene may exist showing the second tryst between Harry and Donna that is described in the first film, where she is given the guitar and they sleep together again. Present Day In the present, Harry is unable to attend his daughter's Grand Opening of the Hotel Bella Donna due to a critical bank meeting in Tokyo. Falling asleep while the contract is read over, Harry expresses that while he recognizes the importance of the agreement, he is simply exhausted by the long process. He asks about the computer background of another meeting attendee, and the man explains that the photo is of his wife and daughter and asks if Harry has any family. Harry replies that he has a daughter, Sophie, and she is the most important thing in his life. He insists that his bank's representatives should sign the contract, and runs out to travel to see Sophie. After arriving in Greece, Harry finds Bill, who has also decided to attend the party after telling the others he was unable to make it. Unfortunately, poor weather has cancelled the final ferry, and unbeknownst to the fathers, the party itself has been ruined. In an effort to find a solution, Harry ties himself to a chair in a restaurant, telling Bill that it will force him to find a way to get to the island. While Harry considers the possibilities, Bill is recognized by Alexio, a local fishermen, who Bill helped reunite with his true love just before she was supposed to marry someone else. Bill invites Alexio, all the fishermen in the restaurant, and their families to the party at the hotel in exchange for a boat ride. As they all celebrate and rush to the docks, Harry is still tied to the chair and falls backwards into the water. As he tries to escape, Sophie's husband, Sky appears and offers to help. Harry and Bill's parade of boats is spotted by Sam, who is waiting at the failed party with Sophie. Thrilled to see everyone coming back together, all characters begin singing "Dancing Queen," with Harry featured in a Titanic-esque moment with Bill and dancing freely on the beach. Overjoyed to see Sophie again, he and the other fathers hug her and join her back at the hotel's opening. Impressed with the renovations, the fathers compliment Sophie. Sky replies that she "wanted to make her mum proud," and Harry lovingly notes, "As if she hasn't done that all her life." Sophie, who has recently discovered her pregnancy, is surprised that many party attendees are already aware. Confronting her fathers, Sam insists that he had to tell Bill, who in turn insists that he had to tell Harry. Harry sheepishly admits that he told "many, many people," implying that he was far too excited to have a grandchild to keep it a secret. Nine months later, Harry attends the christening alongside fellow grandfathers Sam and Bill. He insists that while they are all grandfathers, the new baby, Donnie, shares a resemblance with his ears. During the ceremony, he stands at the altar with Sophie's friends and family. During the credits performance of "Super Trouper," Harry and Young Harry are shown dancing with both their era companions as well as each other- present-day Harry seems disgruntled with his exuberant, youthful self, but he continues to celebrate. In an after-credits scene, the passport guard speaks to Young Harry after he has boarded the ferry to the island, telling him that if he is rejected, Young Harry should "take a chance" on him, implying that the guard, as well as Young Harry, are gay. Personality Harry is described by Donna as being very "sweet" and "understanding." He also considers himself quite a rebel in his younger days, sporting a leather jacket, a slick hairdo (giving him an appearance reminiscent of Happy Days character, Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli), participating in rocker culture, and expressing disinterest in his future in banking. In the first film, Harry attends the wedding seeking to be as spontaneous as he once was. Upon finding out he is a father, he embraces the role, even once it is revealed he is only one-third of Sophie's father. His eagerness to give Sophie emotional and financial support reveal his loving nature, and he never blames Donna for keeping Sophie secret, suggesting he is also very forgiving. Category:Married Category:Lovers Category:Male Characters Category:Main Characters Category:Adults Category:Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again characters Category:Alive Category:Mamma Mia! Characters Category:Characters who appear in both films